Loop control system



April 3, 1951 H. s. FEGELY LOOP CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 30, 1949 INVENTOR Hugh 8. Fegely.

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%M Q U M Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LQ'OP CONTROL SYSTEM :Hugh S. Fegely, Snyder, N. Y., assignor to Westingheuse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June '30, 1949, SerialNo. 102,238

example, wound ona reel or the like, as it comes from a processing operation.

Generally stated, it is an object of my invention to provide a loop control system of the character described which is simple and inexpensive 'to manufacture, and which is reliable and eifective in operation.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide, in a loop control system for a reel or other strip handling motor, for progressively changing the field excitation of the motor to maintain a substantially constant amount of loop in the strip of material, and foranticipating each change in the field excitation.

Another object of my invention .is to provide, in a loop control system, for making anticipatory changes in the field excitation of the reel or other strip handling motor in accordance with the speed of the motor.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide, in a loop control system, v:for utilizing control means responsive to a change in the amount of loop in a strip of material to both effect operation of a field rheostat controlling the field excitation of a motor connected in driving relation with the strip, and for providing a predetermined anticipatory change in the field excitation of the motor which is proportional to the speed thereof.

It is an important object .of my invention to provide, in a control system for a reel motor, for selectively controlling a motor-operated rheostat to change the field excitation of the reel motor, and for selectively controlling the connection of auxiliary resistance means in the field circuit of the motor to provide an anticipatory change of fie d excitation thereof in a predetermined ratio w h the existing field excitation.

Other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be explained hereinafter.

in practicing my invention in oneof its forms, a pair of photosensitive devices and associated light sources are utilized in spaced relation so as to be selectively disposed in interfering relation with a loop in a strip .or length of material to control the operation of a motor connected in driving relation with a .reel or other device arranged to wind or otherwise handle the .st of material. Relay means selectively responsi e to interference of the strip with the passage. of light 2 between the sources .and the photosensitive devices control the operation of a reversible rheostat motor connectedin .drivingprelation with a main field rheostat'for the moton'so as to vary its field excitation in the proper direction to maintain'a predetermined amount of loop as the diameter of the coil of strip on the .reel device increases. Auxiliary rheostats are utilizedin connection with the main rheostat to maintain substantially constant ratios of resistance relative to the main rheostat in any operating position of the main rheostat. These auxiliary rheostats are selectively made effective or ineffective by the relay means, .so .as .to provide anticipatory changes of field excitation in the direction in which the rheostat motor is being-operated, thus preventing overshooting of the motor-operated rheostat.

a more detailed understandingof the nature and scope of my invention, reference may be made to the following detailed description, which may bereadinconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

1 is'a diagrammatic view of a loop control system as applied to a reel motor and embcdying the invention in one of its forms; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of an alternate arrangement of field excitation circuit disposed to be substituted in the system of-Fig. 1.

Referring to Figure l of the drawing, the reference numeral Ill may denote, generally, a loop control system disposed to be used with a reel motor 32 which may be connected in driving relation with a reel l3 for winding a strip of material it. The strip of material l4 may be provided with a loop !5 therein between a pair of guide rolls ll and'an adjacent pair of pinch rolls it through which the strip may pass on its way to the reel l3 from a processing operation, such as a pickling operation or the like. The pinch rolls It may be operated in any suitable manner, the driving means therefor being omitted from the drawing since it does not.form.-a part of the present invention.

The motor [2 may comprise an armature 2i! and a field winding 2!. The armature as may be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy .by means of a master control relay MCR having anoperating winding 23, theenergization of which may be controlled by suitable control means represented by the knife switch-25.

In order to provide 'for controlling the energization of thefield winding .2 l, a main or prin cipal field rheostat 36 may be connected in circuit relation with the field winding and a suit 3% able source of electrical energy. Operation of the main. rheostat on may be effected by means of a rheostat motor which may be reversibly operate by of control relays DB and IF, to decrease and increase the excitation of the field winding 25, respectively.

The rel- IF be provided with operating winding and and hold windings it and respectively. The operating windings and co may be selectively energized by means of auxiliary control relays 39 and 1 3, having operating windings 32 and ift which are disposed to be selectively energized from a light-sensitive control system Q5.

The light-sensitive control system ts may cornprise upper and lower photo or light-sensitive devices it and l! associated with light sources 48 and 39:, respectively. The light-sensitive devices do and All may be so arranged that the loop 55 of material between the guide rolls l'i normally interferes with the path of the light from the source 48 to the upper light-sensitive device so, but remains above the path between the source {39 and the light-sensitive device il.

A suitable amt er and rectifier system may be utilized in connection with the light-sensitive devices and ti for so controlling the energization of the control relays 552i and to that the control relay it will operate to its energized position when light from the source 355 impinges on the light-sensitive device to, whereas the control relay 3% will remain in the deenergized position so long as the light-sensitive device ill is illuminated -irom the source it. The hold win-clings (it and ill may be connected across the armature circuit of the rhecstat motor 32 through normally closed contact members (c) of relays 1F and so to provide for maintaining the relays IF in the deenergized position whenever the rheostat motor is being brought to a stop.

In order to provide for anticipating changes the field excitation of the reel motor iii, and for preventing overshooting and hunting in the operation of the rheostat motor auxiliary rheostat 52 and may be utilised. These rheostats may be connected in circuit relation with the reel motor iield winding 2 i, and may be connected in operating relation wit; the motor operating the main field rheostat so that the efiective resistance thereof is maintained at all times in a predetermined ratio with the effective resistance of the main field rheostat 353.

The auxiliary field rhecstats 52 and 53 may be provided with control relays ICE and 13GB. associated. with the relays IF and D5, respectively, for selectively controi ng the effectiveness of the auxiliary rheostats in the field circuit of the reel motor. The control relay 20R may be connected in shunt circuit relation with the auxiliar field rheostat and disposed to prev e a shunt circuit about the rheostat througl its cont: .1 member (a) whenever the control relay IF operates, so as to render the field rheostat inch iective and thereby inc ease the field excitation. The control relay DCR may be disposed to normally provide a shunt circuit about the auxiliary field rheostat 53 through its contact member (a) and operates in response to the operation of the control relay BF to remove the shunt render the auxiliary field rheostat effective to reduce U the excitation of the field inding 2 i.

In order to insure full .ld when starting the reel motor, a iield relay FF may be provided for connecting the field winding it directly to the source of energization, instead of through the field rhe-ostats til, 52 and 53. A time delay relay I may be provided in connection with the master control relay MGR, for retaining the field relay FF operated for a predetermined time after starting.

A field economizing relay FE may be provided for maintaining a reduced field on the reel motor through a resistor a l when the motor is not in normal operation. A dynamic braking relay DER connected across the armature 2% provides an energizing circuit for the relay FE so long as the armature voltage remains above a predetermined value, thus insuring full field during dynamic braking.

In operation, the master control relay MCR may be operated by closing the control switch 25 to provide an obvious energizing circuit for the armature of the reel motor through contact member (b) of relay MGR. Relay FE will thereuponbe energized to shunt resistor 5 With the loop 15 in the position shown, the path between the source 58 and the upper light-sensitive device :6 will be blocked, so that the control relay Eli will remain in the deenergized position. Since the lower light-sensitive device ill is illuminated from the source it, the control relay 39 will also be in the deenei'gized position. 'lThe control relays and IF will both remain in the deenergizeol position, so that the 1.. ostat motor 32 will be inoperative. Since the time delay relay T remains in the energized position for a predetermined tirce, an obvious energizing circuit is provided for the field relay FF through contact mem bers (d) and (a) of elays MGR and '1, respectively. The field winding 25 of the reel motor will, under these conditions, be energized by a circuit extending through contact member (a) of relay FF. After a predetermined interval of time, relay T returns to the deenergized position, deenergizing relay FF. The field winding 2| will thereupon be energized over a circuit extending through contact member (a) of relay the main rheostat 3d, the auxiliary rheostat 52, and contact member (a) of control relay DCR. 1

Since the diameter of the coil on the winding reel it increases progressively, the loop i5 has a tendency to pull up or decrease. Should the upper photosensitive device it become illuminated from the source 58, the control relay M3 will operate and establish an obvious energizing circuit for the control relay IF through contact members (a) of relays id and DF.

Gperation of relay IF establishes an obvious energizing circuit for the control relay ICR through contact member (b) of relay IF. Relay ICE operates and shunts the auxiliary rheostat 52, thus immediately increasing the excitation of the reel niotor field winding 2 i, so as to slow down the reel inotor l2 and tend to restore the loop 55 to its original value.

Operation of the relay IF also connects the armature of the rheostat motor 32 to a source of electrical energy through an obvious energizing circuit including contact members (0) and (d) of relay it, so as to provide for operating the rheostat motor in a direction to decrease the effective resistance of the main field rheostat 36 to increase the excitation of the field winding 2!.

Since the operation of the control relay ICE increased the excitation of the field winding 2% substantially instantaneously, restoration of the loop 55 to its original. value will be accelerated, so that the path of th light between the source 13 and the upper photosensitive device will be again interrupted. The control relay 49 thereupon'returns'to the deenergized position, interrupting the energizing circuit of the operating winding 350i the lelayIF'.

Relay IF returns to the deenergized position, in'which it is held by reason of energizaticn of the hold" operating winding 37, which is now connected across the armature of the rheostat motor 32 through contact members (e) of the relays IF and DF. Deenergization of relay IF interrupts the energizing circuit for the control relay ICE, and again renders the auxiliary .field 'rheostat 52 efiective in the circuit of field winding 2|, so that the excitation thereof is now changed only by the changed effective values of r'heostats 39 and52 as efiected by operation of the rhcostat motor 32.

Since, in normal operation, the diameter of the coil on the reel I 4 continues to increase, the'rhcostat motor 32 will be progressively operated to actuate the main field rheestat-BQ in a direction to progressively increase the field excitation of the reel motor field winding 2!, and slow down 'the reel motor 2 so as to maintain the loop i 5 in position between the upper and-the lower lightsensitive devices 48 and-41.

Should the loop l5 for some reason increase, *so as to block the path of the light between the source 49 and the light-sensitive device 4'1, the control relay '39 will operate. This provides an obvious energizing circuit through contact memher '(a) of relay 39 for the relay DF whichconnects the rheostat motor 32 so as to actuate the main field rheostat 30 in a direction to increase the efiective amount of resistance-in the fieldcir cult of the reel motor and speed up the motor. At the same time an obvious energizing circuit is provided through contact member (b) of relay DF for the control relay DCR. This control relay operates to the energized position, and immediately connects the auxiliary rheostat 55 in. circult relation with. the field winding 2|. This effects an anticipatory change in the field excitation of the reel motor in the same direction as is being effected by operation of the rheos'tat motor 32, speeds upthe reel motors, and rapidly restores the loop l to the desired position, thus preventing any overshoot in the operation of the rheostat motor 32, since the control relay 3'9 will be quickly returned to the deenergized position so as to effect deenergization of relay DF, where-by operation of the rheostat motor 52 is terminated.

The reel motor 12 may be stopped by opening switch 25 to deenergize .the master control relay MCR. The dynamic braking relay DBR will thereupon be energized over the circuit completed through contact member (a) of'relay MCR. An obvious energizing circuit 'isprovided'for the field relay EE through contact member (a) of relay DER. Relay FE operates to shunt outresis'tor 54 until the armature voltage of the .reel motorldrops to 'a predetermined value, whereupon relay DBR returns to the deenergized position, interrupting the energizing circuit for relay FE.

Instead of utilizing a main field rheostat 39 and auxiliary field rheostats 52 and 53 as shown in Fig. l, for efiecting anticipatory changes of field excitation, a main rheostat 55 may be utilized as shown in Fig. 2. The rheostat 55 may comprise a resistance element 55a which may be tapered in value in any manner well known in the art and having, for example, resistance steps of relatively low value at the left-hand end, and resistance steps of relatively high value at the right-hand end.

:By utilizing a :main ;movable :arm b, which may The of the usual type, in conjunction with auxiliary arms 55c and 5505, only .a single :rheostat is necessary :to obtain anticipatory controlin #accordance with the teachings .of .my "invention.

The auxiliary arms 55c and 55d may, for example, .be positioned :on each side of jthe'main a-rm 551), being connected thereto in predetermined fixed relation by insulatingmeans 55c. Forexample, 'thetarms 55c and 55d might be positioned about fifteen degrees :onoppositesides of the arm 55b.

The rhe'ostat 55 maybe operatively connected toithe rheostatmotor 32 which is controlled and operates in exactly thetsamemanner as described in connection with Fig. 1. The rheostat 55 may %be connected :in circuit relation with the .field winding 2.! .betweenitheresistcr 54 and-the positive'terminal of the source, being substitutedfor the li'heostats 30, .52 and 53.

Control relays ICE and DCR may be utilized to F521! unt out the section of the .rheostat between the .arms ffitlcand 1155b, and remove-ashunt connection. from .the section of tharheostat between armsiti b andr'fifid, in a manner .similar to that described connection with thesystem of Fig. .1.

.Since the .steps :of resistance .of the rheostat .55:aretapered, the amount of .changeeffected by :the relays ICE and .1303 will always .beppropor- *tional to the setting of the :rheostat, and hence proportional tothe speed .of the reel motor. Nor- :mally the circuit through the rheostat 55 will be :from positive through conductor :51, contact .member do) of relay D03 and conductor 53 to arm and hencethrough the rheostat to re- 'sisto1':54,;rmd'the field winding 25 tonegative as in Fig. .1. Whenever therheostat motor .32 .op- .eq'ates toincrease the resistance in the field circuit, the relay DCR will operate and remove the shunt from the section .of resistance between :arms 55b and i'lidysc that the current pathmust now-be from positivethrough conductor to and .':arm fifid, thus anticipating operation of and effectingamapid stop-of the;motor 32 throughreturn of the loop to the normal position and the consequent restoration of the light sensitive control system to normal. When it operates in the other direction, the relay ICRzshunts out the section of the rheostat between arms 55%) and 550, andprovides .a path from positive through contductor 51, contact member (a) of relay ICR, :andconductor '62170 arm 55c. Operation of the reel motor [2 effected in the same manner as described in connection with the system of Irig. 1.

From :the .above description and the accomiranying drawingit will be apparent that I have provided, in a simple and effective manner, for controlling the amount of loop in a striphandling cyst-em. For example, operation of a reel motor :ma-y ice effected by anticipating the changes in ifieid excitation necessary to maintain a prede- *termined amount of loop in a strip oizmaterial being wound on a reel. While the invention has been described in connection with a reel motor, it will be apparent that it is not limited to such an application, and may also be used where the loop is to be maintained between adjacent pairs of pinch rolls, or the like. By utilizing auxiliary rheostats which may be connected in operating relation with the motor-operated main field rheostat of the reel motor, the amount of the anticipatory change may be maintained in a predetermined ratio with the speed of the reel motor so as to provide a more effective stabilizing and antihunt control system. By utilizing auxiliary field rheostats having a predetermined. ratio of resistance relative to the main field rheostat, for example, on the order of 5% thereof, operation of the reel motor control system may be effected so as to reduce hunting of the loop to a negligible value.

Since certain changes may be made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may he made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all the matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be considered as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A control system for a motor disposed in driving relation with a reel for winding a strip of material having a loop therein, comprising, a pair of vertically spaced photo-sensitive devices and light sources disposed in selective interfering relation with the loop, a principal motor operated rheostat connected to vary the field excitation of the motor in opposite senses, switch means selectively responsive to interference of the loop with the light beams between the photo-sensitive devices and their light sources to effect operation of the rheostat motor in opposite senses, an auxiliary rheostat connected in driving relation with the rheostat motor, said rheostat being disposed for connection in circuit relation with the principal rheostat and disposed to maintain a predetermined ratio relationship with the principal rheostat, and circuit means including contact means of said switch mean disposed to control the connection of said auxiliary rheostat in circuit relation with the principal rheostat.

2. In a control system for a motor, circuit means including a motor-operated principal field rheostat disposed to supply variable field excitation to the motor, an auxiliary rheostat operatively connected to the motor-operated rheostat to maintain a predetermined resistance ratio with the principal rheostat, switch means operable to effect operation of the rheostat motor, and circuit means including contact means of th switch means disposed to connect the auxiliary rheostat to Vary the field excitation in the same sense as the motor-operated rheostat.

3. The combination with a motor having a field winding, 01' a princ pal rheostat connected in circuit relation with the field winding to vary the excitation thereof, an auxiliary rheostat connected in circuit relation with the principal rheostat having on the order of five per cent of the resistance of the principal rheostat connected in operating relation with the principal rheostat to maintain substantially a five per cent effective ratio of the resistance for any operating position, and switch means operable to efiect operation of the rheostat motor to decrease the eifective value of the resistance of the principal rheostat and render the auxiliary rheostat inefiecti e.

i. In a control system for a motor having a field winding, a principal rheostat connected in circuit relation with said field winding, said principal rheostat having a reversible motor connected in driving relation therewith, a pair of auxiliary rheostats connected in circuit relation with principal rheostat, control means selectively responsive to operate the reversible motor'in directions to decrease and increase the resistance in circuit with the field winding, and circuit means including normally open contact means and normally closed contact means of the control means connected in shunt circuit relation with the auxiliary rheostats.

5. In a control system for a motor connected in driving relation with a reel, a main rheostat connected to vary the field excitation of the motor, a reversible rheostat motor connected in driving relation with the main rheostat, a pair of auxiliary rheostats connected in circuit relation with the main rheostat, said auxiliary rheostats being connected in driving relation with the main rheostat and disposed to maintain predetermined ratios of resistance relative to the main rheostat, switch means selectively operable to effect operation of the rheostat motor to increase the amount of field excitation or reduce it, and circuit means including contact members of the switch means disposed to shunt and thereby render one auxiliary rheostat ineffective or render the other auxiliary rheostat effective.

6. In a loop control system for a reel motor disposed to wind a strip of material having a loop therein disposed in selective interfering relation with a pair of photo-sensitive control devices, a motor-operated principal field rheostat disposed to vary the field excitation of the motor, a pair of auxiliary rheostats connected in operating relation with the principal rheostat, said auxiliary rheostats being connected in circuit relation with the principal rheostat and having a predetermined ratio of resistance with the principal rheostat, switch means operable to provide an operating circuit for the rheostat motor to increase the field excitation of the reel motor and shunt one of said auxiliary rheostats, additional switch means operable to provide an operating circuit for the rheostat motor to decrease the field excitation of the reel motor, and circuit means connecting the photo-sensitive control devices to eilect selective operation of the switch means and the additional switch means.

HUGH S. FEGELY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Formhals et a1 Dec. 16, 1947 

